With just a few ingredients, Butter Cookies Recipe comes together quickly for a tasty and gorgeous treat. Butter cookies are pretty enough for a cookie exchange but easy enough to make any day of the week.
Butter Cookies are so delicious, and they melt in your mouth. They are easy to make into designs and shapes. Everyone will think you spent a ton of time on this cookie recipe when really it was easy!
Try making plain butter cookies or jazz things up with icing and sprinkles. However you decide to make these, they are going to impress your friends and family!
I also make Cookie Butter Cheesecake, Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies and Coffee Cake Cookies for a delicious dessert.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
This recipe makes it simple to enjoy bakery quality cookies at home. With a few very simple steps and ingredients, anyone can enjoy these at home. You will love the taste and texture.
The cookies look so pretty and taste delicious.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter – Softened at room temperature
- egg yolks. You only need the yolks for this recipe.
- vanilla extract – You can use almond extract if you prefer, but I love vanilla in this recipe.
- all-purpose flour– It’s best to spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping it.
- milk – You can use what you prefer but I like whole milk in the cookies.
Get the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
How to Make Butter Cookies
Step 1. Combine the butter, sugar and salt. I used my stand mixer. Then mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until crumbly then add in milk. You may need to add in a little more milk to the dough if it’s too thick. Make sure to add as little as possible so that the cookies do not spread.
Step 2. Place the dough into a piping bag with a large open star tip. Then pipe the dough onto two ungreased baking sheets.
- Step 3. Bake the cookies until golden brown on bottom. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage
Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. You can also keep a piece of white bread in the container with the cookies to keep them soft.
You can also learn How to Freeze Cookie Dough.
FAQs
If you normally have issues with cookies spreading, try chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking.
No, butter cookies are not the same as shortbread cookies. The main difference between the two is the amount of sugar and the baking temperature. Butter cookies have more sugar and bake at a higher temperature than shortbread cookies.
Unsalted butter is best for baking cookies. This allows the baker to easily control the amount of salt in the recipe.
It is easy to grab the wrong one at the store so definitely grab the unsalted version.
Most cookie recipes call for softened butter. However, I often forget to allow the butter to soften on the counter.
If you need to soften butter quickly, you can try this handy trick. Place water in a microwave safe bowl. This bowl should be large enough to fit over the butter.
Microwave the water for about 2 minutes or until the water is very hot. Pour out the water and then place the bowl over the butter.
The heat that remains in the bowl will soften the butter quickly.
Butter cookies originate in Denmark and sometimes are called Danish biscuits. They are delicious cookies made from butter, flour and sugar.
They are a classic basic cookie that are soft and delicious!
While these cookies are similar there are several big differences. The main difference being the amount of sugar.
Butter cookies call for more sugar. Also, the temperature the cookies are baked at is different as well.
The cookies have different textures. Sugar cookies have a sturdier dough, whereas, butter cookies are generally softer.
Yes, these cookies freeze great. Seal them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Defrost them out at room temperature and then they are ready to enjoy.
I recommend freezing them before adding any frosting or sprinkles. Then you can easily add these items when you’re ready to enjoy the cookies.
Pro Tips
- Use Baking Liners or Parchment Paper. Clean up is easy and the cookies turn out perfectly every time! You can also use a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chill the dough. If you find the dough too sticky, go ahead and chill the dough in the refrigerator first.
- Use room temperature ingredients. The butter should be softened at room temperature to make it easier to combine. The eggs also need to be room temperature.
- Don’t over mix. Be careful that you combine the ingredients until just mixed together.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe
- Italian Cookies Recipe
- Funfetti cookies recipe
Make this delicious and easy recipe for a fabulous treat. Please leave a comment once you do.
Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer cream together butter, sugar and salt until combined.
- Mix in egg yolks and vanilla.
- Add flour and mix until crumbly then add in milk (if needed add in another 1 – 2 tsp milk for a more pipe-able consistency, add as little as possible for less spreading though).
- Transfer to a 16-inch piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (I like this tip https://amzn.to/31kK3rU).
- Pipe dough into rounds onto two ungreased baking sheets (if you normally have issues with cookies spreading chill them for 30 minutes on baking sheet before baking).
- Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven until golden brown on bottom, about 12 – 16 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Love these. Next time I want to add almond flavoring.
Can I use this recipe in a cookie press? Thanks @
Yes, I think you could.